Leftovers from previous post! I didn’t have enough dough and filling to make a whole new pie, so I decided to make a few empanadas. Had never made these before but it’s so easy! And cooking with dough is so much fun, it’s like you’re 6 again and playing with play dough.

Preheat oven to 400º and line a baking sheet with wax paper.

I stored the leftover dough in some saran wrap in the fridge overnight. I had to add a little bit of water to make it softer and easier to mold, then rolled it into a ball and flattened it out into a big 14 inch square. I then cut the dough into 4 equal squares.

The filling is the same as the pie. I brushed the squares with some melted vegan butter, then added the filling. Then, I folded the square into a triangle, sealing the edges by pressing down with a fork, and brushing the outside with a little more butter.

This is my first attempt at a veggie pot pie and it was a huge success! I was afraid it would come out to dry but the black eyed peas ended up being perfect for this because they have a great flavor on their own and they’re kind of creamy too.

for the pie crust

3 cups whole wheat flour

1 cup melted vegan butter

2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup ice water

-mix all ingredients together until mixture forms a ball

-wrap the ball in saran wrap and keep in fridge for 1 hour

-divide the dough ball in half and roll one of the balls to fit the bottom and side or a 9inch baking dish

3 cups black eyed peas (1 16 oz bag of dry beans soaked night before, then cooked in about 6 cups water with 2 cloves of garlic and pinch of salt for about 45min)

1 cup loosely packed spinach

1 onion, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

2 cloves pressed garlic

1 8 oz block tempeh, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 cup white button mushrooms, sliced

2 cups broccoli florets

1 carrot, chopped

1/2 cup soy creamer

1 tsp vegan butter, melted

1 tbsp & 1 tsp nutritional yeast

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

pinch cayenne

salt and pepper to taste

I used 3 different layers for the filing: a tempeh/veggie mixture, a blended black eyed pea/spinach mixture, and then some black eyed peas on top.

for the tempeh mixture:

-Cook carrots and broccoli with 1 tbsp oil in pan, covered until soft, adding a tsp of water periodically so they don’t stick or burn

-In a separate pan, cook the tempeh with 1 tbsp of olive oil until browned on all sides

-In another pan, add 2 tbsp of olive oil and saute onions and jalapeno until onions are translucent. Add garlic and and cook for 1 minute. Add mushrooms, carrots and broccoli, tempeh, nutritional yeast, and spices. Cook another 4-5 minutes, adding water if needed to keep it moist.